Cover for a mortar and pestle



June 11, 1957 L. REICH 2,795,383

COVER FOR MORTAR AND PESTLE Filed Sept. 29. 1955 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States My invention relates generally to covers for mortars and pestles and specifically to such covers that permit the operation of the mortar and pestle and yet enclose the contents so that they may not be discharged into the surrounding atmosphere in the form of dust and be distributed by strong currents of air.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a cover for a mortar and pestle that will protect the contents from contamination'by materials entering the mortar from the atmosphere.

It is yet another object of my invention to protect the contents of the mortar from discharge into the atmosphere during the operation of the pestle.

It is yet a further object of my invention to retain pulverized dust-like particles in the mortar.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a cover for a mortar and pestle which will permit of the operation of the pestle While the cover is attached to the mortar.

Another object is to provide a cover that may be easily detached, attached, disassembled, and cleaned.

These objects and advantages, as well as other objects and advantages, may be achieved by the device illustrated in the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a mortar and pestle with my cover attached;

Figure 2 is a similar view with the cover cross-sectioned;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the cover; and

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the cover.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, my cover provides a mortar 11 whose upper edge 12 lies in a single plane. My cover 13 is disposed on this upper edge. It consists of a bottom plate '14, preferably circular in form, and having a central opening 15. A movable middle plate or disc 16 lies over this base plate 14. The movable plate has a central opening 17. A gasket 18 having a top flange 19 fits into this opening 17, with the flanges 19 lying over the area surrounding the opening 17. This gasket 18 is preferably rubber and has a central opening 20 adapted to receive the pestle 23 in a loose, slideable fit so that the pestle may move in the gasket. Lying over the base plate 14, is a top plate or cover plate 21. This top plate has a central opening 22 corresponding in size to the opening 15 in the base plate. The top plate has a flanged edge by which it is supported on the base plate in spaced relation thereto to allow for the movement of the middle plate 16 between the base plate 14 and the top plate 21. There is also space enough for the middle plate 16 to move up and down to a limited extent between the base plate 14 and the top plate 21 with the movement of the pestle 23. The top plate 21 and the base plate 16 are peripherally secured together by bolts 24 and wing nuts 25.

These bolts 24 carry slotted clamps 26 each of which has at one end a downwardly extending leg 27 adapted to engage the top of the mortar and frictionally position the cover 13 thereon when the nuts 25 are tightened. The

opposite end of the clamp is provided with an upstanding portion 28 which serves as a handle for the sliding adjustment of the clamp 26. Immediately adjacent to the clamps 26, 26, there are a series of bosses 29 on the base plate. When the wing nuts 25 are slightly loosened, these bosses 29 will prevent the L-shaped clamp members from moving from their normal radial position.

The operation of my cover is as follows: 1

When it is desired to pulverize material in the mortar, the cover 13 is placed over the top of the mortar 11. The clamp members 26 are moved until the legs 27 are firmly engaged with the top of the mortar 11, and then each of the Wing nuts 25 is tightened. The pestle 23 is then manipulated by hand inthe usual manner. The middle disc 16 slides with the movement of the pestle 23 betweenthe bottom plate 14 and the top plate 21. The pulverized materials in the mortar are held within the mortar and are not discharged by reason of the complete coverage provided by the base plate 14 and the middle plate 16. Between the top plate 21 and the base plate 14, there is more than sufiicient space to accommodate the cover plate 16 so that this plate may move sideways freely and up and down to a limited extent. The gasket 18 also permits, the pestle 23 to slide up and down. u I a tra te. anembodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. Theyeach may havev substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specifically catalogued herein.

I claim:

1. The combination, in a mortar and pestle, of a cover comprising a base plate having a central opening, a top plate having a corresponding central opening, a middle plate movable between the top and base plates in a horizontal plane in every direction having a central opening adapted to receive a pestle, a means for securing the base plate to the top plate, a means for securing the base plate to a mortar, a mortar engaged with the base plate and a pestle received in the middle plate.

2. A cover for a mortar and pestle comprising a device in accordance with claim 1 in which the means for securing the base plate to the mortar is a plurality of slotted arms slideably attached to the base plate, bent ends on the slotted arms adapted to engage the side of the mortar.

3. The combination, in a mortar and pestle, of a cover comprising a flat base plate having a central opening, a plurality of slotted arms slideably mounted on the base plate, and a means for affirmatively positioning the slotted arms, a downturned end on each of the slotted arms, a disc slideably positioned over the base plate movable in a horizontal plane in every direction and having a central opening adapted to receive a pestle, a mortar engaged with the base plate and a pestle received in the central opening of the disc.

4. The combination, in a mortar and pestle, of a cover comprising a flat base plate having a central opening, a plurality of slotted arms slideably mounted on the base plate, and a means for affirmatively positioning the slotted arms, a downturned end on each of the slotted arms, raised portions on the base plate adjacent to position of slotted arms whereby the arms are disposed radially with respect to the central opening in the base plate, a disc slideably positioned over the base plate movable in a horizontal plane in every direction and having a central opening adapted to receive a pestle, a mortar engaged with the The foregoing description is merely intended to illus-- the disc.

5. The combination, in a mortar and pestle, of a cover comprising a base plate having a central opening, a top plate having a corresponding central opening, a flange on the top plate whereby it is supported on the base plate in spaced relation thereto, a peripheral edge on the flange in parallelism to the top plate, a middle plate slideably positioned between the top and bottom plates and having a central opening adapted to receive a pestle, a plurality of slotted arms positioned below the base plate, and bolts carrying the slotted arms and passing through the top and bottom plates, nuts carried by the bolts for securing the top and bottom plates and aflirmative'ly positioning the arms in frictional engagement with the side of a mortar, a mortar engaged with the base plate and a pestle received in the middle plate.

6. The combination, in a mortar and pestle, of a cover comprising a base plate, a top plate, a flange on the top plate supporting the top plate in spaced relation to the base plate with the enclosed space between them defining an enclosure for a disc, a disc of lesser area than the area of the enclosure and laterally movable in every direction therein, and said base, top plate, and disc having passages to receive a pestle therethrough, a mortar engaged with the base plate and a pestle received in the central opening of the disc.

7. A cover for a mortar and pestle comprising a device in accordance with claim 6, a plurality of arms positioned radially beneath the base plate, means attaching the arms to the base plate and adapted to secure the arms in engagement with the mortar.

8. The combination, in a mortar and pestle, of a cover comprising a base plate having a central opening larger than the diameter of a pestle to be used therewith, a top plate having a corresponding central opening, a downturned flange on the top plate supporting the top plate in spaced relation to the base plate with the enclosed space between them defining an enclosure for a disc, a disc of lesser area than the area of the enclosure but greater than the central opening of the base and top plates movable between the top and base plates in a h0rizontal plane in every direction, said disc having a central opening to receive a pestle therethrough, a mortar engaged with the base plate and a pestle received in the central opening of the disc.

9. A cover for a mortar and pestle comprising a base plate having a central opening, a top plate having a cor responding central opening, a flange on the top plate whereby it is supported in the base plate in spaced relation thereto, a peripheral edge in the flange in parallelism to the top plate, a middle plate slidably positioned between the top and bottom plates and having a central opening adapted to receive a pestle, a plurality of slotted arms positioned below the base plate, means carrying the lotted arms for securing the top and bottom plates together and for affirmatively positioning the arms in frictional engagement with the side of a mortar.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 315,227 Berst Apr. 7, 1885 604,359 Beam May 24, 1898 1,123,793 Pick Jan. 5, 1915 

